Back From The Game - Sheff Utd (H)

[leon]

JM is a tight fisted twat who is more concerned about profit than progress.

You haven't really been paying attention for the last couple of decades have you. JM is a rich man who invested a lot of money and way more time and work than he needed to over nearly twenty years on having a successful football club, and now he's had enough of it. Sure he's selling off the assets, sure it's worrying for the fans who have high expectations, and maybe it's not the right approach to being a chairman. But if you think he has made a profit on RFC over the time he's been here, you can't add up. As everyone agrees, football has changed in that time, and where in 1992 someone like John Madejski could afford to gamble on the success of his club, in 2009 he thinks he can't stay in the game. The stakes have got a lot higher for a single owner.

Oh well that's ok then Arch.

But then, as you'll know he has previous with this - selling off the 1995 playoff team (resulting inevitably in relegation) and appointing cheap management options eg Bullivant/Rogers?

Why can't we spend some money? No not like Leeds, but a little of all that transfer/parachute/sky money...

[Tamworth_Royal]

Are you that naive Arch Madejski has never used his own money he's used the bank's money……. his guarantor being the one time successful Auto trader are you that thick to think the Madman would EVER put his own money into this club. All he's ever done is to use RFC to fill his own ego minded head(The only bloke to name a ground after himself ), and when the Prem came along he shite himself because he knew that was the time he might have to use personal funds ......... hence b4 start of that season announced wants to sell the club........... What a yellow bellied tit Madejski is

[Basingstoke Royal]

Could have been 5 or 6!? Is Blackwell a joker? We gave them three points on a plate with all of those goals. We were very unlucky today and deserved a draw at worst. At one nil we should have gone 2 up and had a penalty. Big
improvement from last week - well done lads. Ignore the knobs that booed at full time they don't have a clue. The real fans can see you
improving and our first win isn't far away. Much better than end of last year - come on urz!

[Arch]

JM is a tight fisted twat who is more concerned about profit than progress.

You haven't really been paying attention for the last couple of decades have you. JM is a rich man who invested a lot of money and way more time and work than he needed to over nearly twenty years on having a successful football club, and now he's had enough of it. Sure he's selling off the assets, sure it's worrying for the fans who have high expectations, and maybe it's not the right approach to being a chairman. But if you think he has made a profit on RFC over the time he's been here, you can't add up. As everyone agrees, football has changed in that time, and where in 1992 someone like John Madejski could afford to gamble on the success of his club, in 2009 he thinks he can't stay in the game. The stakes have got a lot higher for a single owner.

Oh well that's ok then Arch.

Hey, it was you who was upbraiding me the other day about being patronising, which you'll be happy to know I took to heart. All I was saying is there's a big difference between him wanting to get out without making a loss and him only being in it for profit. I'd say the same to Tamworth. Of course, he wanted his name in lights. he had no connection to the club, so he wasn't doing it for the love of RFC. But I think it's much more naive to suppose that the whole thing was about making money, or to think that he didn't put his own money in the form of loans. If you look at the accounts there is a clear distinction between bank loans and loans from JM. One functional difference is that the former have been gradually paid off over the last three years while up to this year the latter haven't. Maybe this summer they will. At the end of the day, will he come away with more than he invested? Don;t know, but I doubt it.

[leon]

You haven't really been paying attention for the last couple of decades have you. JM is a rich man who invested a lot of money and way more time and work than he needed to over nearly twenty years on having a successful football club, and now he's had enough of it. Sure he's selling off the assets, sure it's worrying for the fans who have high expectations, and maybe it's not the right approach to being a chairman. But if you think he has made a profit on RFC over the time he's been here, you can't add up. As everyone agrees, football has changed in that time, and where in 1992 someone like John Madejski could afford to gamble on the success of his club, in 2009 he thinks he can't stay in the game. The stakes have got a lot higher for a single owner.

Oh well that's ok then Arch.

Hey, it was you who was upbraiding me the other day about being patronising, which you'll be happy to know I took to heart.

OK fair point

I like the fact that he wants to run the club carefully - but there are points in the club's life like 1995, 2007 in the prem , and now where some money spent (no not like Leeds) would push us on rather than backwards

[Royal Tezza]

Feel a bit sorry for Fedders, was pretty shakey at times but his kicking is simply incredible except for the one he shanked out right at the end

Back 4 pretty good, notice how two goals were from the midfield not picking up their men - something that has been a problem ever since sidwell left, how many times did they give us the time to shoot on the edge of the box? Not happy with the first goal though bit of a lack of concentration

Jay Tabb is a fantastic footballer. Hardworking, tenacious and good on the ball. Scott Davies should have started instead of Cisse who looked totally lost in the middle of the park

Karacan i think is quality but was pretty bad after he picked up his knock today, didn't seem capable of handling the physical presence of the United players

Sigurrdsonn looked immense, our brightest player going forward

The real problems are up front. I know its been covered but we need a striker, preferably a massive lump, who can hold the ball up. The ball kept coming straight back at us far too often which eventually made the difference. At least Noel is good in the air, Shane Long is just useless. He used to be great in the channels but seems to have lost a yard of pace and looks laboured going past players, with the exception of when he managed to blast the ball across the 6 yard box in the first half. Still useful as a impact sub. Simon Church is a ghost to me.

[Very near...far away]

Are you that naive Arch Madejski has never used his own money he's used the bank's money……. his guarantor being the one time successful Auto trader are you that thick to think the Madman would EVER put his own money into this club. All he's ever done is to use RFC to fill his own ego minded head(The only bloke to name a ground after himself ), and when the Prem came along he shite himself because he knew that was the time he might have to use personal funds ......... hence b4 start of that season announced wants to sell the club........... What a yellow bellied tit Madejski is

DW Stadium in Wigan refers to the chairman there, unless it stands for Dirk Wellham by some chance.

[Basingstoke Royal]

Shane Long is shit. Now he thinks he is a senior player he gives it the big I am. He is lazy fat and lacks quality. A link man like smith And a target man, along with ivar will see us turn this around,
I'm patient., and for those that can be honest, we are better now than we were at the end of last season. Come on urz.

[Quagmire]

Are you that naive Arch Madejski has never used his own money he's used the bank's money……. his guarantor being the one time successful Auto trader are you that thick to think the Madman would EVER put his own money into this club. All he's ever done is to use RFC to fill his own ego minded head(The only bloke to name a ground after himself ), and when the Prem came along he shite himself because he knew that was the time he might have to use personal funds ......... hence b4 start of that season announced wants to sell the club........... What a yellow bellied tit Madejski is

He has put in around £40m of his own money and was at one time putting £250k a month into the club (of his own money) to keep it afloat. If you want to have a pop at him then by all means but at least get your facts right.

[Sarah Star]

They did play better together than they have done in the last three games. The goals were gifted to Sheffield Utd though through three momentary lapses in concentration, but that doesn't excuse the fact that our forwards never look like scoring and you have to start worrying about a team that can't do that.

[loyalroyal4life]

They did play better together than they have done in the last three games. The goals were gifted to Sheffield Utd though through three momentary lapses in concentration, but that doesn't excuse the fact that our forwards never look like scoring and you have to start worrying about a team that can't do that.

today showed we are a naive side which lacks some experience. harper should of been on way before 2 mins before the end. its time for some older player to come in alongside the best youngsters. i thought gylfi was class today. i think we need 2 signings not including smith if and when it ever happens. we were the better team 1st half sucker blow right on HT and Feds gifted the 2nd which was a bit out of character but we'll let him off..... this time

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Are you that naive Arch Madejski has never used his own money he's used the bank's money……. his guarantor being the one time successful Auto trader are you that thick to think the Madman would EVER put his own money into this club. All he's ever done is to use RFC to fill his own ego minded head(The only bloke to name a ground after himself ), and when the Prem came along he shite himself because he knew that was the time he might have to use personal funds ......... hence b4 start of that season announced wants to sell the club........... What a yellow bellied tit Madejski is

DW Stadium in Wigan refers to the chairman there, unless it stands for Dirk Wellham by some chance.

Shame it is the JJB stadium, from his company, but not his name.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Are you that naive Arch Madejski has never used his own money he's used the bank's money……. his guarantor being the one time successful Auto trader are you that thick to think the Madman would EVER put his own money into this club. All he's ever done is to use RFC to fill his own ego minded head(The only bloke to name a ground after himself ), and when the Prem came along he shite himself because he knew that was the time he might have to use personal funds ......... hence b4 start of that season announced wants to sell the club........... What a yellow bellied tit Madejski is

He has put in around £40m of his own money and was at one time putting £250k a month into the club (of his own money) to keep it afloat. If you want to have a pop at him then by all means but at least get your facts right.

Can you list the £40m he has put in please, i think you are mixing the Hotel with the football club.

[PieEater]

Shame it is the JJB stadium, from his company, but not his name.

LOL, check your facts.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Sadly i missed the name change, it is now in a deal with DW Sports Fitness group, Formerly JJB Sports fitness, so still named after his company .

[Barry the bird boggler]

Better performance let down in the end by a piece of laughable goalkeeping.

However our continued lack of any penetration is a big worry. This time we at least managed to put the ball into the box more effectively but we totally failed to have players on the end of it.

Again I can't recall their keeper making any saves of note - had a couple of punches to clear crosses and that was about it - and Gylfi was very unlucky to see his chance hit the post.

We have very talented kids but no experience within the squad to help them through and as has been pointed out time and again at any club: EVOLUTION not REVOLUTION

On this I'm afraid we'll have one of the better teams in division 3 next year (presuming the club don't sell off all the kids in the summer so they can safely compete in the division below).

[Sarah Star]

They did play better together than they have done in the last three games. The goals were gifted to Sheffield Utd though through three momentary lapses in concentration, but that doesn't excuse the fact that our forwards never look like scoring and you have to start worrying about a team that can't do that.

today showed we are a naive side which lacks some experience. harper should of been on way before 2 mins before the end. its time for some older player to come in alongside the best youngsters. i thought gylfi was class today. i think we need 2 signings not including smith if and when it ever happens. we were the better team 1st half sucker blow right on HT and Feds gifted the 2nd which was a bit out of character but we'll let him off..... this time

Agreed with all of that apart from the bit about Harper. I know he's more experienced, but the last two times I've seen him come on the team have seemed to fall to pieces. I don't know enough to know whether it's his fault or not.

[Handsome Man]

Marks /10 before reading the rest of the thread

Tabb 2 Poor Bertrand (Tabb was meant to be on the left wasn't he?)

Tabb had a decent game. Determined with some good passes. I'm shocked you rated him so poorly.

Something was wrong though as there was a massive hole on the left side of midfield in the first half.
Either Bertrand was getting in the way or Championship Manager Boy got his tactics wrong or Tabb was just playing badly. I didn't feel like blaming Bertrand.

[Northern Git]

Mr Mad wouldn't do that. Sorry to burst this little Madejski hate session, but the guy has done more for the club than anyone.

Winch for christ sake get your head out the sand.

Do you really really think we are moving forward?

Premiership 8th place to were we are now?

If you don't think he can get money out the club then, I am sorry to say, you are a naive prat

So Ipswich who were 5th also moved forward? how about Derby who used to finish in the top 10 regularly. How about Bradford who spent two seasons in the Premiership. How about Charlton who finished 8th. What about Southampton who got to a cup final and had plenty of top half finishes, Leeds maybe, Forest, Sheff Wed etc etc? There are only 10 or so places available in the Premier League at any one time and right now it's not our time.

Fook sake get YOUR head out of the sand, football goes in cycles. None of those clubs I mentioned have gotten back to 8th in the Premiership and most of them splashed a shedload of cash at the problem.

The only side who you can compare us to who have done well without a Mr Moneybags who treats the club as a toy are perhaps Bolton. Every other Prem team is either on our relative level or has a sugardaddy.

And I'll say again Northern, WHY would he take money out of the club?

Several possible reasons. Support his lifestyle? Support his other businesses (same of which are struggling badly)? Support other projects - station Hill? Get his investment back? Report and accounts show how much interest he is amassing from his loans. Those come straight off the bottom line.

I know football goes in cycles ever was and ever will be the case. However, as should be obvious, any business, be it football or anything else, it is easier to move forward or reorganise from a position of strength. Dont wait untill you are in the shit before doing something. A small correction/ investment in the promotion season may have kept us up. A slightly bigger correction/ investment last season might have got us promoted.

We now have dumped most of our assets, have plummeting income, have an inexperianced manager and squad - plus a Chairman that wants out.

We now face a massive task to get back anywhere near the position we were in and I now dont believe we have the Management with the required desire, or a Manager and players with the skills to even start the task. Hope I am wrong but I fear not.

Talk of Ipswich, Leeds etc is irrelevant - its Reading we are talking about here.

[Northern Git]

JM is a tight fisted twat who is more concerned about profit than progress.

You haven't really been paying attention for the last couple of decades have you. JM is a rich man who invested a lot of money and way more time and work than he needed to over nearly twenty years on having a successful football club, and now he's had enough of it. Sure he's selling off the assets, sure it's worrying for the fans who have high expectations, and maybe it's not the right approach to being a chairman. But if you think he has made a profit on RFC over the time he's been here, you can't add up. As everyone agrees, football has changed in that time, and where in 1992 someone like John Madejski could afford to gamble on the success of his club, in 2009 he thinks he can't stay in the game. The stakes have got a lot higher for a single owner.

Arch have a look at the accounts and the interest JM is charging RFC for the loans. Once the last 8 million or so of his debt is repaid he will have made a tidy profit from RFC - he may already be 'in the black' Dont begrudge him it at all - but it is clear his investment in RFC is not down to his philanthropic urges